Cruz Pedregon Runs to Second Round in Brainerd

24th Annual NHRA Nationals
Brainerd International Raceway– Brainerd, Minn.
Advance Auto Parts Nitro Funny Car - Pedregon Racing
NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series

Cruz Pedregon Advances to Quarterfinals

BRAINERD, Minn. (August 14, 2005) - Cruz Pedregon and his Advance Auto Parts
Nitro Funny Car advanced to the quarterfinals of eliminations during today¹s
NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series national event at Brainerd International
Raceway.

Pedregon recorded his ninth first round win this season when he clocked a
5.219-second elapsed time at 215.10 mph, outrunning No. 10 qualifier Robert
Hight.

³In the first round, we had a tough race,² Pedregon explained. ³We were
facing the Funny Car points leader, but I managed to bring the Advance Auto
Parts car to the finish line first.²

In the second round, Tommy Johnson, Jr., defeated Pedregon with a
4.907-second 
elapsed time at 318.54 mph. The 1992 NHRA Funny Car champion recorded a
5.507-second elapsed time at 223.47 mph. Pedregon had to contend with the
right lane affected by a previous oil down.

³We had a lead at the beginning of the run,² Pedregon said.  ³But smoked
the tires and lost the edge. The track could not take the power we wanted to
give it, it is not clear to me if it had anything to do with the oil down
or not. There were some good runs on that lane as well.²

Pedregon talks about what lies ahead for the Advance Auto Parts team.

³We¹re working to match my car to my brother Tony’s (Pedregon) car a bit
More,² Pedregon said. ³We want to have more of a team concept with similar
mechanics and strategy. We’ll start in Memphis next week, and be ready for
the ŒBig Go¹ 
in Indy next.²